Monday, July 12, 2010

Kitchen Tip: Applesauce

Growing up, I learned a little trick from my mom, and it's name is applesauce.

While I am an applesauce snob {I only eat 1 kind of applesauce, and that's homemade}, I bake with Mott's Natural (no added sugars) applesauce all the time. Simply apples and water -- I can handle purchasing this to bake with, especially with all the coupons and sales.

image from walmart.com

My mom taught me that applesauce can be used in place of the fat (oil/butter) used in most baking recipes. Oil/butter and applesauce can be substituted in a 1:1 ratio.

The first time I made it, I substituted half of the oil for applesauce (1/4 C each).

When I made it recently, I tried a full 1/2 C applesauce in place of the oil. {As well as made it with 100% white wheat flour}.

And, it worked out wonderfully.

I freeze my applesauce in ice cube trays - mine hold 1/4 C. Then, I keep the frozen cubes in a large bag or container and use them as I need them. It keeps the applesauce, especially since I use all natural from going bad before I have a chance to use it all.

Now -- there are a few caveats to baking with applesauce:

Your baked goods will be more moist.

Your baked goods will be more dense.

Your baked goods may not rise as much as they typically would.

Your baked goods may need to be baked for a bit longer due to the extra moisture.

Give it a try! With any recipe, I typically start by substituting half of the oil/butter for applesauce and see how that turns out. If I want a more fluffy cake, I'll add in additional baking powder, ~1 tsp. per large cake, for example. This seems to help!

An adventurous spirit is required :) If that works out well, I try it again the next time with all applesauce.

Thank you Sno!!! I agree with "Homemade apple sauce". There is NO BETTER thing in the whole world than a fresh bowl of it. I LOVE your substitution into baking with it. How about muffins like pumpkin with the applesauce instead of oil??? Mmmmm! I can hardly wait to try it...I'm "really" enjoying your blog, it's always so much "knowledgeable fun, fun, fun"!Donna in Connecticut

My daughter has an egg allergy. I use 2 Tbsp of natural applesauce to replace each egg in a baked goods recipe. It works for recipes that call for 1 or 2 eggs. If the recipe uses more than 2 eggs, then I use applesauce to replace 2 of the eggs and Ener-G egg replacer powder for the remaining eggs.

A long time ago I made brownies substituting with applesauce for the oil and they were great. Then the next time they weren't. I don't even know why. I haven't tried it again! I need to though. The half-half idea is a good one. I've never, ever made my own applesauce. Maybe someday.

When cooking, please make sure to follow kitchen hygiene and safety -- cook meat until internal temperature is at safe levels, always check labels for allergens, and use caution in the kitchen -- I love sharing recipes, but I am not liable for damages done as a result of trying these recipes.